BLESSING OR BLASPHEMY?

The Ark will make the people of the Bible come alive again in the marketplace of popular culture – so predicts Andrew Walker (pictured left), professor of theology and education at King's College in London.

"The heroes and villains of the Bible will be snatched away from the virtual world of the Ark – beyond the 3D deck, the bulletin boards, and chat rooms – and find themselves the topic of conversation in the real world. There, in the workplace, at bars and at home they will take their place among the secular celebrities of the mass media," he says.

"While the Ark will not preach nor intentionally inform, it will stimulate religious and moral debate and feed our still hungry imaginations," he adds.

Despite the Ark's potential for getting people to think about the Bible and its stories, Walker also believes that the gameshow will be controversial among Christians.

"To some, the Ark may seem irreligious or even blasphemous. They may think the voyage distasteful, a dumbing down of the Bible, or a license to play God with characters which are held in high esteem by sincere Christian believers," he says.

Walker believes that the Ark is a risky venture – because the direction of the voyage will be in the hands of the contestants, who may take liberties with the Bible's stories or even stage a mutiny and hold Noah to ransom. But he thinks the risk is well worth taking.

"The Ark will raise the profile of the Jewish and Christian traditions, stimulate ethical debate, and may even create a frisson of religious excitement among the general public that will lead to opening long-closed Bibles, attending neglected churches, or even commencing catechesis."

For the full text of Andrew Walker's article, click here.